Whatman set to close
Maidstone's oldest company looks set to close, with the
loss of 101 jobs.
Whatman plc, now part of the
international GE Healthcare Group, opened consultations with its
employees this week on the possible closure of the Springfield
site.
Company spokesman David Morris
stressed that closure depended on the outcome of consulations
scheduled to end in May.
The proposal is to transfer
production to other sites in the UK, Asia and Sweden.
The business was founded as a paper
mill by James Whatman in 1740. It now makes specialist medical
flilter papers.
The company was once one of the
town’s largest employers, with 1,000 people working across three
sites, at Springfield, Park Wood and Allington.
The site will be sold.
Mr Morris said: "The proposal is no
refelection on the staff, who have always worked with the utmost
professionalism."
He said the closure was part of the company’s plans to maximise
efficiency across its world-wide operations.
08/02/13
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